Marriage Advice for Ft. Carson Soldiers

But imagine knowing your spouse could leave for work ... and never make it back.

It's reality for military couples, that takes a real toll on a lot of men and women. In response to a significant rise in divorce among soldiers, army leaders are training troops not only for battle, but in keeping a happy home...even under the stress of deployment.

At a recent meeting, soldiers in plain clothes and their spouses listened to counselors remind them, "marriage is a wonderful thing."

The discussion is about basic communication, at home, and the times these couples are separated by a call to duty.

"I don't think you ever get used to having them gone," said Darleena Wolak.

Even after 16 years of marriage and a number of long distance separations, she and her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Wolak haven't figured everything out, but Jim knows he and his fellow soldiers have duties in battle and at home.

"We recognize that it's work at home, just like we train on a daily basis, it takes a lot of hard work to keep families together," Wolak said.

And Darleena knows some battles will be her own.

"The last thing you want to do is send it downrange with the little things," she said. "You want to handle things at the house."

It is the kind of teamwork organizers want military newlyweds to learn, and seasoned couples to remember...in order to make deployment bearable, and homecomings sweet.

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